College Baseball

Rider University 11, La Salle University 5

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ— Senior Nick Richter (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove) had three hits, three RBI, stole three bases and scored three runs to lead Rider to victory over La Salle Tuesday in the final non-conference game of the regular season.

“Nick has been playing well,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis.  “He's been fairly steady. He's been getting on base and he has always been a threat on the bases.”

Last year Richter was an All-MAAC selection, leading all of Division I with a Rider-record 41 stolen bases. This year he again ranks among the MAAC leaders with 20. “He's doing a good job.”

Senior Justin Thomas (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South) and red-shirt freshman Brian Uliana (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) also each had three hits and three RBI for Rider (26-19), as the Broncs banged out 12 hits. “We swung the bats today,” Davis said.

An RBI double by Thomas in the sixth inning gave Rider an 11-5 lead.

La Salle (22-26-1) cut the lead to 5-3 with two runs in the third inning.

Richter hit an RBI double and Uliana hit a two-run single in the third inning to give Rider an 8-3 lead.  Richter hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning for a 9-3 lead.

Uliana, who sat out last year with an injury, had two career hits going into May before collecting 14 hits in his last seven games. “Whenever I get my name called I just look to do my best,” said Uliana, the MAAC Rookie of the Week the first week of May.  “Whatever I can do to help the team win.”

“It is one of those things where you get opportunities and try to take advantage of them and that is what Brian is doing,” Davis said.  “I anticipate him being in the line-up more. He's getting experience and doing a good job.”

La Salle scored two runs on four hits in the fifth to cut the lead to 9-5.

Senior Mickey Donnelly (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) pitched three and one-third innings of shutout, hitless relief for the win, his first of the year. “Mick threw well today,” Davis said. “He gave us three-plus good innings and was very effective. He was a big part of this win today.”

Rider scored four runs in the second inning on four hits, including RBI singles by Richter, Thomas and Uliana, to take a 5-1 lead. “Right from the get-go we got good pitches to hit and we were able to execute Davis said.

Thomas hit an RBI single in the first inning to tie the score at 1-1.

Also for Rider, sophomore Lee Lipinski (Glen Arm, MD/Calvert) had two hits and senior Mike Parsons (Liverpool, NY) scored three runs.

Rider winds up the regular season at home with a three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series against Monmouth. The series begins Thursday at 12 noon with a doubleheader and concludes Saturday with a 12 noon single game. “I think our mindset is good going into the weekend series,” Davis said.  “We're going into the weekend series just like we've taken on every weekend series and this one will be no different.”

Rider (13-5 MAAC) needs to win just one of the three games with Monmouth to win the MAAC Regular Season Title and earn the top seed in the six-team MAAC Championship Tournament May 20-23 in Fishkill, NY. “It's not like we're going out there to just win one game,” Uliana said.  “We're looking to win the series, possibly sweep, just like we look to do every weekend.”

Prior to Saturday's 12 noon start Rider's 11 graduating seniors will be honored.

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